What is “Salami” and is it part of Islam?
This page looks at the practice commonly called “Salami” – standing and sending salām on the Prophet ﷺ in a special way – its cultural origin in places like India, Pakistan and South Africa, which groups promote it, and how the Qur’an judges such innovations in the religion.
1. What do people mean by “Salami”?
In many Indo-Pak and South African communities, “Salami” usually refers to a ceremony where people:
- Stand up together at a certain moment in a gathering (often during Mawlid / “Mouloud”).
- Face a certain direction, join hands, or form lines.
- Recite Arabic or Urdu poems, qasidah, or “salāt-o-salām” in praise of the Prophet ﷺ.
- Sometimes believe the Prophet ﷺ is spiritually “present” and receiving this greeting.
In South Asia this moment of standing is commonly called Mahall al-Qiyām (the “place of standing”) during the Mawlid gathering. It became popular with certain Sufi-leaning and Barelwī-type movements in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, then travelled with them to places like South Africa and the UK.
2. Where did this practice come from?
The Qur’an does command believers to send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ:
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe! Send blessings upon him and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.”
But the Qur’an does not fix a particular ceremony such as:
- Standing up at a specific line of a poem.
- Believing he is “present” in the gathering.
- Clapping, waving flags, or marching in circles.
Historically, these practices appeared many centuries after the Prophet ﷺ, when Muslims began composing long Mawlid texts (like al-Barzanjī, etc.) and added a moment of standing out of cultural respect. Over time, some groups started treating this standing as a religious symbol and almost a test of love for the Prophet ﷺ.
So “Salami” is not a Qur’anic ritual. It is a cultural custom that later Muslims attached religious meaning to.
3. Who usually practices Salami today?
While every town is different, in general:
- In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and their diasporas, many who identify with Barelwī / Sufi-influenced traditions promote Mawlid with standing salāt-o-salām and processions.
- In South Africa, this came with Indian-origin Muslims who follow similar Barelwī-style teachings; some local Kokni or Surti communities call the standing greeting “Salami”.
- Other Muslims – for example many Deobandī / Tablīghī and many Qur’an-focused Muslims – reject this as bid‘ah (innovation) and do not stand for Salami at all.
The important point: no sect name can make something halal if Allah never legislated it. The question is always: “Did Allah reveal this practice or not?”
4. How does the Qur’an judge such innovations?
4.1 Speaking about Allah without knowledge
“Say, ‘My Lord has only forbidden indecencies… and that you associate with Allah that for which He has sent down no authority, and that you say about Allah what you do not know.’”
When people say:
- “This Salami ceremony pleases Allah.”
- “If you stand for Salami you get such-and-such reward.”
- “If you don’t stand, you disrespect the Prophet ﷺ.”
…they are putting words in Allah’s mouth without any verse to prove it. This is exactly what Allah condemned: inventing a religious rule, then claiming it belongs to Him.
4.2 Making ḥalāl and ḥarām from ourselves
“Say, ‘Have you considered what provision Allah has sent down for you, and you have made of it some lawful and some forbidden?’ Say, ‘Has Allah allowed you, or do you invent (this) against Allah?’”
The same principle applies to rituals: if Allah did not command a specific worship, how can we label it “Islamic worship” and pressure others with it?
4.3 Following forefathers, imams and culture blindly
“No, but they say: ‘We found our fathers upon a religion, and we are guided by their footsteps.’ And thus We sent not before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, ‘We found our fathers upon a religion, and we are following their footsteps.’”
Today, many Muslims defend Salami only with:
- “Our parents and grandparents did it.”
- “Our shaykh / imām / pīr said it is beautiful.”
- “Our whole community will be upset if we stop.”
But the Qur’an warns us: tradition is not proof. On the Day of Judgment, the excuse “my imam said so” will not save us. Allah already told us to check the revelation, not just culture.
4.4 Being questioned about every addition
“And do not follow that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart – all of those will be questioned.”
If we join these invented ceremonies, or we teach children that this is “Islam”, we must know:
- We will be questioned about every ritual we help to spread.
- We cannot say “it was harmless fun” when we attached Allah’s Name to it.
- We cannot blame scholars; each soul will answer for its own choices.
5. Specific problems with Salami
Depending on how people practise it, the Salami ceremony can involve several serious issues:
-
Turning a cultural habit into a fixed “act of worship”.
If it is presented as a required or special religious ritual, this is an addition to the dīn which Allah never revealed. -
Believing the Prophet ﷺ is “present” and listening in the gathering.
The Qur’an teaches us the Prophet ﷺ is now in the unseen world, and that he himself will say he does not know what his followers invented after him (e.g. Qur’an 5:116; 34:25). To imagine him present, standing, and moving with us, is a claim about the unseen without knowledge. -
Using it to divide Muslims.
Some communities treat those who refuse to stand as “enemies of the Prophet” or “Wahhabi”. This is oppression. The Qur’an never made Salami a test of love for the Prophet ﷺ. -
Teaching children a confused picture of Islam.
Kids grow up thinking Islam = Qur’an + Salami + 40-days ceremonies + other customs. Then the pure Revelation becomes just one piece of a big cultural package.
Any innovation that we attach to Allah, His dīn, the Prophet ﷺ, or the Qur’an becomes a serious claim against Allah. Even if it started as “culture only”, once people label it as worship, it enters the area of saying about Allah what we do not know.
6. What does true love for the Prophet ﷺ look like?
The Qur’an shows love for the Prophet ﷺ in a different way:
- Believing in the revelation he brought.
- Obeying the clear commands of Allah in the Book.
- Leaving what contradicts the Qur’an, even if our imams or parents promoted it.
- Defending his true message from fabricated stories and harmful innovations.
If we really respect him, we will not invent our own scripts of how to honour him. We will honour him the way Allah described – by following the guidance that came through him.
7. How to deal with Salami in your family or community
For many families, Salami has been part of “Islamic culture” for generations. Removing it requires wisdom and patience:
- Start with Qur’anic verses, not with attacking people. Show them the ayāt about speaking without knowledge, and following forefathers blindly.
- Make it clear you are not against sending salāt and salām on the Prophet ﷺ – you are against adding a new form that Allah did not reveal.
- Replace innovations with clear worship: reading Qur’an with understanding, real du‘ā to Allah alone, charity, and sincere obedience.
- Be patient with elders. Many were never shown the Qur’an clearly on these issues. Your job is to convey, not to control hearts.
On the Day of Judgment, each soul will stand alone. Do not carry the burden of innovations just to please people. Let the Qur’an be your standard, and invite others back to it with mercy and clarity.
This page is a summary for ordinary readers. You can expand it later with more verses, real-life stories, and research – but the core principle must stay: no practice may be called “Islam” unless Allah has given it in His Book.